Studies of sand drift by neutron activation analysis of trace elements in natural sand

On the basis of the inhomogeneous distribution of trace elements in nature and essential characteristics of the sand drift, the authors have proposed a so-called mix-model of trace elements as a law of the sand drift, and developed a few calculation methods to determine the drift directions, possible sources as well as their contributions to the sand. Using neutron activation analysis method for determining the concentrations of the trace elements in natural sand samples from different sources, they have investigated three areas, the Shantou Harbor, the Shanghai Harbor and a section of the Great Canal of China, to decipher the movement and sedimentation tendency of the sands there. Their results agree with those by conventional measurement methods in water conservancy works, and their method has provided some obvious advantages of time-saving, cost-saving, sampling without restriction of time and ease to be implemented